Expect the unexpected at this alfresco California wedding. John and Jessica had to cut their 200 person guest list down to 40 due to the pandemic and decided to make lemonade out of lemons. They enlisted the help of event planner extraordinaire CCL Weddings and Events and created an intimate affair filled with special touches- like a custom Boba Cafe. Floral design by Milieu Florals will take your breath away, and you’re sure to get lost in the magic The Great Romance Photo captured in their imagery. Visit the full gallery for all of the unique and chic details.
From the bride… John and I were set up on a blind date by our mutual friends and met on July 23rd, 2018. Fun fact: I had never had a boyfriend and had not given a guy a chance past a first dinner date before meeting John! Little did I know that two years later I would be navigating a wedding in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.
Our planner, and now dear friend Catherine of CCL Weddings and Events, was our rock and emotional support through all the ups and downs. She basically helped us plan a whole new wedding in two months after the pandemic made our original date an impossibility! We started by changing our food from food trucks to Hungry Bear Catering for plated individual courses, assigned seats with guests 6 feet apart for the ceremony, assigned seats by households as much as possible for the reception, and also asked our entire bridal party to be tested before the wedding.
Looking back on it all, our wedding day could not have been more perfect. Even if I were to do it all over again, I can genuinely say I would not have changed a single thing! One of our favorite things about the wedding was how intimate everything was because it allowed us to really slow down, be able to talk to all our guests, and really enjoy the day.
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Videography: Etcetera Productions | Event Planning and Design: CCL Weddings & Events | Floral Design: Milieu Florals | Cake: M Cakes Sweets | Catering: Hungry Bear | Hair and Makeup: Studio MM&B | Entertainment: Chasing Linen | Venue: The Lombardi House | Balloons: PopFest Co. | Bar - Mocktails: The Base Co | Boba: Sharetea | DJ/MC: DJ Aflex @ Hi def group | Desserts: Momofuku Milk Bar | Linen: BBJ La Tavola | Photo: The Great Romance Photo | Photobooth: Instabooth LA | Rentals: Premiere Party Rents | Tabletop Rentals: borrowed BLU